


Of Towers, Flowers, Rings and Reasons

by WolfAndHound_Archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Friendship, Post-Sirius in Azkaban, Romance, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-05
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 08:55:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5918518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfAndHound_Archivist/pseuds/WolfAndHound_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Surprises in the Astronomy Tower</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Towers, Flowers, Rings and Reasons

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Lassenia, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Wolf and Hound](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Wolf_and_Hound), which was created to make stories posted to the Sirius_Black_and_Remus_Lupin Yahoo! mailing list easier to find. However, even though I still love the fandom, I am no longer active in it and do not have the time to maintain it. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in December 2015. I posted an announcement with Open Doors, but we may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on the [Wolf and Hound collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/wolfandhound/profile).

"Remus, why are we here?"

Sirius had been asking where they were going for the past two hours, ever since Remus had told him to get ready to go on a `trip' to a `place' for a `reason'. And that was all the information he'd been able to get. Not even his smiles and suggestive hints had swayed Remus this time. So he'd complied and gone along, allowing himself to be portkeyed to Hogsmeade and dragged into the gates of Hogwarts, across the familiar grounds, through the halls, and up the flight of stairs he would have recognized in his sleep.

And he was utterly confused. For once, he had no idea what Remus was doing.

"We're here because I want to show you something." Was the reply he got.

Rolling his eyes, Sirius followed his companion to the large wooden door at the end of the hall, and before they went through, he reached out and stopped Remus.

"Remus, all you've told me is that we're going somewhere because you have to show me something. Now please tell me," he looked around at the hall curiously, "Why are we about to go into the astronomy tower?"

With an appropriately wolfish grin, Remus shook his head and remained silent.

"Look, you know I don't like surprises..."

"Sirius, please, just go in there."

With a last wary look, Sirius put his hand on the door knob. "For all I know you've got Snape in there," he muttered, "About to give me a lap dance and... Oh..."

As he pushed the door open, he completely forgot what he'd been saying. "Oh Remus..."

The Observatory- a round brick room with an opening in the ceiling for the telescope- had been completely transformed. The walls were draped with dark red curtains, trailing elegantly onto the floor, which, for it's part, had a matching red carpet rolled out from the door to the far side of the room. A large, spacious cloud of roses hung right below the ceiling, and petals- soft, airy petals- tumbled slowly downward from it, dissolving about halfway through the air.

Below the telescope, in the very center of the far wall, stood a smooth black podium.

"Oh... Remus..."

A shy smile played over Remus' lips. He placed a hand on Sirius' back and gently pushed him forward, into the room. As soon as they'd walked in, the door closed and left them standing in a wine colored haven.

"Do you like it?"

After the few seconds it took for the question to filter through, Sirius turned to face the man standing next to him. Finally managing to close his mouth, he tried to form an answer. "Like it? Remus... you... you-" he cleared his throat. How had that lump gotten there? "You set this up? For me? For us?"

Remus nodded. "Yes." he said simply. "I asked Dumbledore, since it's summer vacation for the students, if I could use the astronomy tower for... observation purposes."

"Observation?" Very slowly, a grin began to spread over Sirius' face. He moved a few steps towards Remus, and carefully began to pull him closer, arms wrapping around his waist. "What sort of... observation... did you have in mind?" he asked, raising his eyebrow suggestively.

"Er..." with an almost regretful sigh, Remus reached behind himself to unclasp the arms that were holding him. "Not quite what you're thinking." he said. "I did have a real reason for bringing you here. Aside from the fact that I wanted to see the look on your face." He gave a small smile. "So... you really do like this?"

Letting go somewhat reluctantly, Sirius took the opportunity to look at the room once again. It was stunningly beautiful, and standing amongst the falling rose petals, he could almost feel time slowing down for the two of them. Remus had really gone all out this time.

"... and I know you don't like small, stone rooms, since... since... Yes, well, I was hoping this would be alright, since it is the-"

He became aware that Remus hadn't stopped speaking.

"Remus. My love. This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"Is it?" he asked lightly.

"No. You are. But this is... you know I love it." He nearly had to force the words out, for the lump in his throat seemed to be permanent. "Thank you."

Unable to resist, Remus leaned in and gave Sirius a gentle kiss. "Mm... yes..." He mumbled against the soft lips, "Anyway. Back to the original reason we're here." Once again, he pulled away, actually taking a few steps towards the podium this time.

Sirius ran his tongue slowly over his bottom lip. "Any way I can convince you to put that off until later?"

Taking out his wand, Remus approached the podium. "Not a chance." he replied. Mumbling a spell softly under his breath, he tapped the top of the stand. It glowed for a moment, and Sirius wondered what exactly was happening.

"Come here."

It was a simple command, and Sirius eagerly complied. He joined Remus at the podium, and stood facing him, waiting.

"Do you remember," Remus began, clearing his throat lightly, "The night after James and Lily's wedding? You and I went walking, after the reception." He focused his attention on the pair of blue eyes that was looking intently into his own. "We went outside, and sat in the garden. Next to the rose bush."

Sirius didn't dare to breathe.

"I kissed you then... and you cried." He reached out and gently joined their hands, clasping their fingers together. "And when I asked you why you were crying, you told me how beautiful Lily had looked, and how happy James was, and how much you wanted that for us."

If he breathed, the moment would end.

"People are beautiful because we love them, and I want you to know, that you were always the most beautiful thing in my life. And I was never happier than when we were together. And I couldn't have cared less if anyone else knew it. Just so long as you were mine."

Breathing meant time passing again.

"And it killed me when I lost you..." He blinked rapidly a few times, but his gaze never faltered. "But now that you're mine again, I want... I want to do this. Sirius?"

The burning in his lungs was telling him that holding his breath was no longer an option. Sighing shakily, he nodded. "Yes?"

Remus looked down at their joined hands. He lifted them to his lips and pressed a kiss to Sirius' knuckles, savoring the moment. With his free hand, he tapped the podium again, and with another bright glow, produced a small, simple gold ring.

"I know this isn't how it should be. But what I wanted to say hasn't changed." He let their hands part, and held the ring out to Sirius.

"Sirius Black. I give you this ring. And with it, I give you my heart, and my soul. I give you part of me and all of me. I give you my life within my hand, and every moment of it to share with you... I... I'll give you the sunset and the night, and every star in the sky if you ask for it, but most of all... I give you my love. For what it's worth, I give you all of it."

With his hands shaking, he once again took Sirius' hand, this time to slip the ring onto his finger.

Sirius, for his part, stood silent and motionless, lips parted, and tears streaming freely down his cheeks.

"R-Rem-" he looked at the ring on his finger, still glowing brightly. "Remus."

"I love you Sirius. I need you to know that."

"... I know..." He had trouble finding his voice. He had trouble believing that anything was real. He fully expected to wake up at any moment. Remus- his Remus- was standing in front of him, in a room that defied any earthly description, proclaiming his love.

"Remus, I-"

He shook his head and smiled warmly, "You don't have to say anything."

Sirius nodded again. It touched him more than he could have imagined, to be given the gold ring. Not the ring itself, but what it stood for. Love. Commitment. Endurance. It stood for all the years they'd lost, and for all the years they had to make up for it. And for everything he loved about Remus. Everything he loved and cherished and wanted about his Moony.

Wanted. What he wanted, was to lean over and devour the sinfully perfect lips of his lover.

And with a rush of emotions, everything from love to gratefulness, he did. Ignoring the podium between their bodies, he pulled Remus closer and captured his mouth. It should have been a slow kiss, slow and loving, but instead, it let loose the feelings that had been welling up in Sirius since he'd stepped foot in the room.

Remus willingly responded, and the two stood, holding each other from across an altar of their own making, tasting their kisses and drowning in them.

Stumbling, barely keeping his footing, Sirius stepped to the side of the damned podium and finally wrapped his arms fully around Remus, instantly pulling them closer together. Their lips never ceased worshipping each other.

The podium stood forgotten, and with traveling hands and muffled moans, they found themselves on the floor, holding each other on the royal red carpet. It was only fitting that after the flowers, vows, and tears, they should be sealing their union- not with a ring- but with a kiss.

And kiss they did. For a very... very... long time.


End file.
